Controrapina

For one last heist, grizzled safe-cracker Lee Van Cleef (as Chris) is lured out of retirement by cocky young Edward Albert (as Jeff). Later on, both men are acquainted with sexy Karen Black (as Clarisse). As events proceed, everyone's life is put in danger, and you can count on some deception among the ranks. With these three in the cast, you would expect a good run for the money, but the picture falls flat on its face. It starts off well, and gets bogged down by musical interludes, as the cameras wander around New York City looking for action. At one point, supporting cast member Lionel Stander (as Sam) says, "Shazam!" Alas, there is no magic.

*** The Squeeze (10/25/78) Antonio Margheriti ~ Lee Van Cleef, Edward Albert, Karen Black, Lionel Stander

Lee Van Cleef at his most facially challenged plays a retired safeman, who comes back from Mexico to New York to do one job for a friend's kid.

Includes most of the cliches one would expect from a "last gig"- film, but redeems itself with nice NY locations, comedy (some intentional) and Lee Van Cleef. Recommended as a time- passer.

Released on video in Finland in the eighties.

I think that people such as Charles Bronson and Lee Marvin must have passed on this film before the producers got to Lee Van Cleef. In The Squeeze Van Cleef plays a retired safecracker who apparently quit at the top of his game over a decade earlier. Edward Albert son of an old friend lures him back with a job offer to steal some diamonds.

Seeing them and folks like Karen Black as a ditzy hippe chick, Lionel Stander as a pawnbroker friend of Van Cleef's, and Robert Alda as a police inspector always a step of two behind is always nice. His employers want to betray Van Cleef, but he didn't survive as long as he has by being stupid.

The Squeeze has some dull patches and an annoying soundtrack of some of the worst 70s music. It's also a sad commentary on the human condition, nobody can trust nobody with one exception.

I fell asleep watching this movie but admittedly only for the last ten minutes. The storyline is not explained well, it was only today I discovered what the value of the theft was and the background. The start was terrible, I thought I had missed something. The parts where characters stare at each other for long periods does not improve the tension or the plot... just made me lose interest. Is worth a watch if you are drunk however as it provides plenty to laugh about. I have seen the end and it did not improve the movie for me. Having bought this for £5 in a box set of "20 Great Action Adventure Movies" I do not feel ripped off, I feel I have obtained A useful tool for entertaining myself and my friends... but not in the way the director intended. I will not advise people to avoid this. The story is good but the way it has been put across to the audience is poor and maybe some more time could have been taken. There is a hint that there was some talent behind this movie as the shots of New York are beautifully gritty and not all glossy. Do watch this, even if just for a quick laugh before moving onto something better.

A rare misfire from Italian director Antonio Margheriti, made during his difficult period in the 1970s. He wowed throughout the 1960s with his extremely good gothic horrors, and he came back roaring into life in the 1980s with his Vietnamese battle epics, but In between he made some quite meandering fare, of which this is a good example. The title seems to rip-off the earlier British thriller and they've even cast Stacy Keach-lookalike Edward Albert. Lee Van Cleef, with a twinkle in his eye, plays a safecracker hired for one more job, but double crossings are in store. The heist is dull, cast members like Karen Black and Lionel Stander can do very little, and the whole thing is extremely stodgy.